


Though You May Burn To Ash

by Butterballporkbun



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: All Route Spoilers, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Body Horror, Canonical Character Death, Crimson Flower Route, Edeleth Big Bang (Fire Emblem), F/F, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Major Spoilers, Psychological Horror, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:54:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27353821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Butterballporkbun/pseuds/Butterballporkbun
Summary: There were many things Byleth had regretted during this long-drawn-out war, and for many of the choices, she made she believed she didn't have a choice. At the final battle to decide Foldan's future as she watches Rhea ready to incinerate those dear to her Byleth wonders if she could've truly changed fate, Sothis answers her question but at a heavy cost.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, My Unit | Byleth & Sothis
Comments: 9
Kudos: 46
Collections: Edeleth Big Bang 2020





	1. Crimson Flower, To the end of a dream

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, this is my first fanfiction in literal years as well as my first fic on here. It is also my contribution to the Edeleth Big Bang in collaboration with my wonderful partner & Artist Lesbeanlatte. This was a lot of fun and I'm incredibly thankful to have been apart of the event, please stay tuned for more chapters.

**-Byleth-**

As Byleth stared down Rhea, she couldn't help wonder what her father would think. The large white dragon towered above the flames covering the battlefield; its teeth bared in a snarl as its wings extended.

Rhea, The Immaculate one, reared back, a horrible shrieking roar ripping from her throat.

Faintly Byleth could feel a small tug somewhere in the depths of her mind, which caused a faint smile to spread across her face.

_ I’m sorry, Sothis, but I am doing what must be done. I hope that one day you will be able to forgive me. _

As Byleth raised the sword of Creator, the unbridled rage in Rhea’s eyes seemed to blaze hotter than even the sun itself. 

“You dare defile my mother, you filthy apostate!” Rhea roared. The sound turned Byleth’s stomach as a wave of pure magic rolled over her skin.

As Rhea swiped at her with alarming speed, Byleth dodged, doing her best to block Rhea’s unrelenting strikes with her sword. However, this only seemed to drive Rhea into a frenzy, her wings creating a great gust of wind that whipped ash and embers around.

“Professor!”

Edelgard’s voice echoed out from Byleth’s left side.

It was a second, a single moment, but Byleth knew better than anyone that the battlefield is where seconds counted the most. Edelgard screamed, blood spraying through the air as Rhea’s tail bored through her chest with startling precision.

Rhea’s face split as an enormous manic grin spread across it even though Aymr was halfway buried in her tail. Letting out a low dark chuckle, Rhea flung Edelgard off of her tail.

Byleth watched in horror, a chill cloaking her skin as Edelgard’s body bounced along the ground, once, twice then before it could roll to a stop, Byleth was already using a divine pulse.

  
  


**~~~**

“That ghastly voice,” Edelgard muttered, wincing slightly.

Taking a deep breath, Byleth shook herself slightly as she blinked. It took a moment or two for her mind to catch up, but when it did, she realized something.

Fhirdiad was no longer filled with the screams of pain from its inhabitants burning in their homes. The air was clean and crisp, almost sharp, missing the previous sting of smoke.

_ The divine pulse...it rewound to the start of the battle. Rhea has yet to set the capital on fire. _

As if on cue, screams filled the air as the telltale orangish hue lit up the night sky. Moments later, an Adrestrian Soldier ran up his face streaked with ash.

“Your Majesty! There’s smoke coming from every corner of the capital!” He informed Edelgard breathlessly. “It seems they’ve set fire to the city!”

“What?” Edelgard practically growled. She shook her head, “Damn it, Rhea. There really is no depth you wouldn’t sink to, “ she muttered.

As the battle began once more, Byleth grabbed Edelgard’s wrist. Neither of them turned their attention away from Rhea, whose ivory form towered above the charred buildings.

“Professor?”

“El?” Byleth said softly.

Edelgard jumped slightly like she usually did when she wasn’t expecting Byleth to actually speak, finally turning to look at Byleth. 

_ The professor is smiling! _

“We’ll take on Rhea together, so stay close,” Byleth told her. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see Edelgard’s face contorted into horror and pain, blood pouring for her mouth, Rhea’s childlike glee before casting her body to the side.

_ No, not again, we’re so close. Once this is over, so will all this pointless bloodshed. _

Edelgard smiled back and nodded. “Of course…”

Facing down Rhea a second time was no less intimidating. Neither was her horrific roars that caused the mechanical golems on the battlefield to go into a frenzy.

As Byleth dodged and slashed at Rhea’s clawing hands, she couldn’t help but wonder if Sothis had a form like this.

_ Had Father known that Rhea could do this? _

“You dare defile my mother, you filthy-” Rhea’s vicious snarls instantly turned to shrieks as Edelgard brought Aymr down on her tail.

Ignoring the blood spurting from her tail as Aymr was wretched free, Rhea whirled on Edelgard, attempting to crush her swiftly beneath her enormous hand.

The sword of the creator snaked forward, wrapping around Rhea’s wrist, and a second later, Edelgard swung Aymr with all her might.

Red rained down on the battlefield as Rhea’s hand fell to the ground with a great thud throwing up ash and embers.

Rhea roared, drawing in on herself like a cornered animal trying to appear smaller. However, both Byleth and Edelgard knew that animals were at their most dangerous when cornered.

“Mother…” Rhea chuckled softly. Then she reared back as manic rasping laughter echoed from her lips. “Don’t worry, mother, Cichol, Cethleann, Indech, Macuil, I will not allow these filthy creatures to harm you any longer.” 

Closing her eyes for a moment, Rhea stopped laughing instead, letting out a low sigh. However, when she opened her eyes, Byleth could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

While the rage wasn’t entirely extinguished in her gaze, there was a strange coldness in her eyes that Byleth had only ever recalled seeing once.

“Now let us put an end to this,” Rhea announced, her voice strangely hollow.

Byleth and Edelgard acted quickly, but Rhea was quicker, her once frenzied movements becoming startlingly precise. Aymr barely nicked her wing, and the sword of creator buried itself into her shoulder, just missing her neck.

Ignoring her wounds, Rhea flew into the air. She stood out against the smoke clouding the air, her scales almost giving off an ethereal glow.

Rhea opened her mouth wide, a ball of orange light growing there. Even as the ballistae and mages fired off their attacks in an attempt to bring Rhea down, it did little to stop the ball of flames she was creating.

Byleth knew that it was useless as well, remembering clearly how it had taken a small horde of enormous demonic beast to hold her.

_ If Dimitri was here, then perhaps... _

Shaking her head, Byleth took a deep breath. It was too late for regrets at this point, no matter how big they may be.

In the distance, she could hear screams of pain and Edelgard calling out to her to get her attention.

The ball of flames flew from Rhea’s mouth brighter than the sun as it filled Byleth’s vision. Cursing as she retracted the sword of the creator Byleth used another divine pulse before witnessing Rhea turn her comrades to ash.

**~~~**

“El-”

Byleth froze as she opened her eyes instead of the capital; however, she found herself within familiar darkness that reminded her of the many nights spent in the countryside. Although it lacked the warmth that Byleth had felt the previous times, she’d been here. It was cold. Cold enough to numb Byleth’s fingers and cause the hair on the back of her arms to stand up.

_ It was like this back then as well before I awoke... _

In front of her sat an all too familiar throne carved from light gray stone, the gentle green glow that surrounded it gave the throne an ethereal appearance.

Slowly Byleth approached, scanning the area for that familiar long green hair. Silently she ran her fingers along the throne, the smooth stone gliding across her calloused fingers.

_ This place. If I am here, does that mean that we failed? That I failed just like all those years ago? _

“El...no,” she whispered as the realization seemed to hit her all at once. 

_ Everyone, no! No! I will not let it end here! _

“Sothis!” She called out into the darkness. “Sothis!”

But of course, she got no answer back. Immediately her hand went to the sword of the creator; however, it was no longer there at her side.

_ I have to get out; Rhea must be stopped. _

If anyone else were able to see her, they would surely think that she’d gone mad as she shouted and sprinted through the darkness. And yet every time she did, she would find herself back at the throne.

Panting, Byleth collapsed down in front of it, her thoughts racing as she stared at the ground. She was exhausted, but whether it was from the battle she’d been in or due to her running around, she wasn’t sure.

_ There has to be some way to escape this place.  _

“So, it seems that you still charge into danger like a fool.” 

Immediately Byleth whirled around, her eyes going to the throne.

“S-Sothis,” she whispered. Her eyes felt oddly warm as she stared at the girl. 

It was Sothis without a doubt; the small childlike form familiar to Byleth was transparent, the soft low glow emitting from the throne gave her ghostly form a white ethereal outline.

Sothis looked at her with wide, startled eyes. “Are you truly crying? For me?” For a moment or two, Sothis looked truly confused about what to do in this situation.

“I believed I’d lost you for good. I knew you were still within me somewhere, but…” Byleth admitted.

Sothis nodded, knowing exactly what Byleth meant. Letting out a sigh, she shook her head. “In truth, I should not be here. While my power should still reside in you, this form should not.”

As Sothis spoke, Byleth could feel a sickening chill that seemed to gather within your chest no matter how much she seemed to push it back. “Does that mean that I failed? Did Rhea kill everyone before I could use the divine pulse?” She hated how her voice shook as she spoke, how small and afraid she sounded.

“No, not yet, but if time were to continue even with the divine pulse, the future appears incredibly bleak,” Sothis admitted as she stared down at Byleth.

“What do you mean? Do I die because of something Rhea does? A mistake I make? If so, I don’t care as long as everyone else-”

“Quiet!” Sothis snapped suddenly, her voice echoing around them in the darkness. Shaking her head, she narrowed her eyes at Byleth, her expression serious. “Don’t needlessly throw your life away without a care in the world, especially one so valuable to so many people.” 

Taking a small shuddering breath, Sothis rose from her throne, descending the few stairs until she stood in front of Byleth. “Seiros has truly made a mess of things; she always was a stubborn child,” Sothis whispered. “But, I suppose it is my fault as well.”

“Sothis?”

“You will win this battle, but you as you are now will not survive it. In another battle, you lose everything,” she whispered.

  
  


Byleth’s eyes widened at her words. “Sothis, do you mean…”

Reaching up, Sothis pointed to Byleth’s chest, or rather her heart. “This was placed within you by Seiros using her magic. And her magic will be the thing that undoes it as well. You may not be able to see it, but the crest stone is reaching its limits.”

Sothis didn’t dare speak it aloud as a small part of her feared that it would make it come true, that the moment she voiced the thought that lay in both her and Byleth’s mind, there would be no stopping it.

The crest stone within Byleth’s chest would shatter, disappearing into nothing, and sadly so would Byleth herself.


	2. White clouds, t̷̛̝̯̫͐̄̉̆͝͝h̸͍̜̉r̸̨̮͑̈̏̅͊̚͝ḙ̸̈́̆͒͘͜ę̷̱̺̜͎͎̲̅͜ ̴̡̢̻̫̭̳͈̹͍̠͉̰̬̾͆̾͋̄̊͜ͅh̶̛̰̻̙͔͉͖͗͌̍̋̂̅̓͒͐͜ǫ̵̨̡̠̬̳̟̦̺̠̳̠̓̄̏̓͗̂͛͂̊̚u̸̘͕̞̿̇͋̈̋͌͛̚s̴͈̺̐̊̒̓̂́̋͆̏̃̆e̷̢̛͉̲͗̿̾̐̈́͒̏̑̍̄͝s̶̛͓̤̹̜̻̜̞̲̪̩̰̥̅̆̀̊́̐̽̕͘̚͝

**-Byleth-**

“Sothis, ” Byleth whispered as the girl stared down at her. Sothis’s normal lazy expression was missing. Instead, she was scowling, her lips pressed into a thin line.

“No, I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself, ” she sighed softly.

“Then take my body and end this, ” Byleth pleaded with the girl. 

“Right now, you are the only one who may be able to defeat Rhea.” She whispered, her shoulders shaking slightly.

“Byleth-”

“I admit it,” Byleth whispered, her gaze on the ground. “ I’m not going to lie, especially to you, Sothis...I’ll miss everyone, I’ll miss sparring with Petra and Felix. I’ll miss watching Ferdinand irritate Hubert. I’ll miss sharing sweets with Lysithea and Dorethea.”

Letting out a shuddering breath, she shook her head. “And El, I’ll miss her the most. But if it is the only way, as long as everyone makes it out safely, then I-”

“Do you even know what you are suggesting!” Sothis snapped, stomping her foot. “You are asking me to erase who you are! I won’t allow it. You are not just some meat puppet to be controlled.”

_Meat puppet...that’s a new one…_

Hearing Byleth’s thoughts, Sothis crossed her arms, her eyes narrow as she stared at Byleth. “Hush you, we are not using any of your horrific plans,” Sothis huffed.

“But those are our only two-”

“No,” Sothis interrupted softly. “I can not do that to you; I _won’t_. Your students would not be the only ones who would mourn for you. I have always been here, listening to every breath you take, watching as you grew. And now...I can not even touch you.” 

She shook her head as she looked at Byleth, a small, sad smile on her face. “Humans...are incredibly fragile. One moment they’re here, and in the next, they disappear. I have watched it happen, over, and over and over, for so long that I eventually stopped counting; I could only sit and watch surrounded by the darkness and cold. When I first awoke after Seiros placed the crest stone within you, however, this once horrid place grew warm and bright.” Sothis reached out, attempting to brush her fingers along Byleth’s cheek only to stop herself and drawback as she stared down at her hand.

For a few moments, Byleth was silent as she processed Sothis’s words. Eventually, she looked up at her, and at that moment, Sothis couldn’t help but notice that Byleth seemed much younger, smaller even; her face was pale, her lips pressed into a thin line.

“Then...what can we do, Sothis?” Byleth asked softly.

Taking a deep breath, Sothis looked back toward the throne. A small chill seemed to run along her skin as it seemed to almost tower over her. Just staring at it standing tall above the steps made that familiar empty ache unfurl in her chest.

_No, I will not be alone again. I will not allow Byleth to be alone again._

Looking back at Byleth, Sothis spoke, “If we utilize the divine pulses we have left at our disposal, we may be able to rectify this.”

“Really! How?” Byleth asked eagerly as she scrambled to her feet, lacking any of the grace she’d used on the battlefield.

“We would need to rewind to the beginning, however doing so will undoubtedly have devastating consequences,” Sothis informed her.

Byleth couldn’t help but notice the odd tone in Sothis’s voice. “Do you mean the beginning of the battle?” She asked her. However, somewhere deep down, the chill in Byleth’s stomach refused to leave.

_So I truly did make a mistake before fighting Rhea._

  
  


“Yes, there were mistakes made before the battle but not the ones you think,” Sothis told her. She saw slight confusion flit across Byleth’s face at her words. “Using this method would not mean just restarting the battle. It would mean restarting everything, the hands of time would be turned back to before the war, before you arrived at the academy, before you met your students…”

“Alright, so I would have to meet Dimitri, Edelgard, and Claude again. I would know what to do to avoid this outcome, as well. I would gather more information on how to prevent this war and keep the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, and Golden deer alive and well. I-”

Byleth froze, and it was at that moment something seemed to click.

_No...wait, I can’t repeat any of my actions that have led up to this point. If I do, the outcome will be the same…_

Slowly Byleth looked at Sothis with wide eyes, but she seemed to be avoiding Byleth’s gaze. “Sothis...if I do this, what happens to everyone? What would happen to Edelgard?” She asked slowly.

Sothis sighed softly as she slowly looked up to meet Byleth’s gaze. “There is a very likely chance that she may not survive. You cannot save everyone. You know this, her chances of survival are one in a million.”

She admitted.

Sothis felt Byleth’s anger and despair more than she saw it. The cold, almost slimy wave of emotion washed over her, almost cloaking her like a blanket. Byleth, however, just stared down at the floor in silence, her fist tightly clenched, and her eyes narrowed.

Sothis hated feeling like this. It reminded her of the cold emptiness she longed to forget.

Swallowing, Sothis walked a bit closer to Byleth. “Normally, even attempting this would be impossible for you. But now that I am here, no matter how fragile this current form may be, you may be able to play against fate, however…” Sothis trailed off.

“However, what?” Byleth asked through clenched teeth in an effort to hold back the rage threatening to engulf her.

“ _One in a million_ ,” Sothis whispered as she chewed on her bottom lip. “You have used the divine pulse before, but this...it is truly the power of a god. I do not know if your mind would remain intact. You would not be challenging some beast. It would be the very world you inhabit. Fate is a cruel mistress: once it claims its victims. Even with me within you, you are still bound by its chains.”

Staring up at Byleth, a small, sad smile spread across Sothis’s face. “Despite the odds, do you think a mortal like yourself would be capable of performing such a miracle?”

  
  


Honestly, Byleth didn’t have a choice, but at the same time, she could care less about the risks to herself. She was going to win her match with fate. If the prize were Edelgard’s life and the lives of those she cherished, she would rip fate’s head from its shoulders and parade it for all to see.

“Yes, I can do it,” Byleth murmured, her voice firm. “I can handle it. I refuse to lose.”

A humorless chuckle escaped Sothis’s lips. “Of course, I expect nothing less. I shall grant your wish.”

Taking a few steps away from Byleth, Sothis lifted her hand, her hair fluttering as her palm glowed with a bright green light.

As the light filled the room, everything seemed to grow brighter and brighter as everything was swallowed up—even Byleth’s pain and the hollowness that filled Sothis’s chest.

“ _Good luck...I truly, truly hope to see you again. Byleth…”_

~~~

**N̞͍͎͌̎į̺̣̰̆̉̇͘ļ̛̤̖̼͙̆͋̿̕=̞̖̥͕͇̃͌̄͘̕1̮̣̖̺̾̌̋̓**

“...stay here for the night, Byleth.”

Byleth heard before she saw anything, her hearing crackling to life as her vision slowly faded into focus. Her stomach churned as an odd fuzziness seemed to cover her mind like a blanket making it hard to stay conscious, much less coherent.

Her skin was tingling. Pins and needles running over every inch of it sent chills across her skin.

“H-hey!”

Blinking slowly, Byleth shook her head in an attempt to clear her vision. She met wide brown eyes set in a familiar face.

“Are you alright, Byleth?” Jeralt asked, not even trying to hide his concern.

_Ah...father…_

Byleth felt warmth gathering in her eye. “You’re here,” she breathed. “You’re really here.”

As Byleth threw her arms around him in a hug, Jeralt froze, a shaky chuckle escaping his lips. “Of course I’m here, it's our house. What’s gotten into you today?”

Byleth shook her head, her grip tightening a bit. “I-you…” she tried to speak through the small sobs.

Jeralt sighed softly as he patted Byleth’s back; it reminded him of the many times she’d woken him up in the mists of a night terror. 

As Byleth drew back slightly wiping at her eyes, she took a moment to glance around.

The sun was starting to set on the horizon in the distance casting a soft orange hue on the sky. The air was warm, the faint humidity giving it a slight weight.

_So I truly am back, before the academy, before everything._

Byleth looked over where her father’s Mercenaries were helping set up camp in the usual spot.

_Night will be here soon, and so will Dimitri, Claude, and Edelgard._

She wasn’t sure how it happened, but she was standing in their camp with her father by her side and the physical exhaustion from her battle with Rhea missing. While her muscles were no longer sore from exertion and her lungs no longer ached from smoke inhalation.

However, the mental exhaustion was still there, slowing down her thoughts as she tried to get her bearings.

_Sothis, we did it! Sothis…_

However, Sothis didn't answer, and for a moment, a strange feeling wormed its way into Byleth’s chest. It was a feeling she recognized, one that seemed to slam into her every time she needed to use a divine pulse in battle.

_Worry_.

“Byleth?”

Ignoring Jeralt for a moment, Byleth reached up, placing a hand on her chest. When she couldn't find a heartbeat, she couldn't help the loud sigh of relief that escaped her lips.

_The crest stone is still there...which means Sothis has to be as well._

It was only then that she realized that Jeralt was staring at her with an odd look in his eyes. 

“Yes?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. As she did, a strand of mint green hair fell into her eyes, and it dawned on her.

_My appearance didn't change…_

“Byleth, fill this up for me, ” Jeralt said, suddenly tossing a flask toward her. He watched her like a hawk as she easily caught it.

“Whiskey or Gin?” Byleth asked instantly, a scowl on her face.

At her question, Jeralt gave his own sigh of relief and ran a hand through his hair. “So it is you kid, you had me worried for a second.”

“I...did?” Byleth asked slowly, a scowl on her face.

Jeralt nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. “You don't look like well, yourself. One moment you’re walking beside me, and in the next, you nearly collapse, your hair changes color, and your ears change shape.”

  
  


“My ears?” Byleth whispered as she lifted one of her hands to the body part in question. As she traced her right ear, her eyes grew wide.

Where she expected there to be smooth, rounded skin was now a slightly curved tip.

_My ears! They’re like Rhea’s! Like Sothis’s!_

“It would appear that you did not make it through the process unscathed, _”_ Sothis suddenly spoke softly as she yawned. “My ears look wondrous. I do not understand why Jeralt seems so alarmed. _”_ Byleth could practically see the girl pouting.

_Sothis! You really are alright!_

“Hmm? I feel tired, more so than before, if that is possible,” Sothis sighed, exhaustion coating her voice.

~~~

As it got closer to nightfall and the mercenaries finished making camp, Byleth did her best to explain things to Jeralt.

“I see…” Jeralt sighed after Byleth finished her explanation. 

“You don’t seem surprised by Rhea’s actions,” Byleth said as she looked away from the window of the old cabin. It was their home. A nice, almost cozy cabin tucked away in the forest.

Ever since night had fallen, she’d been even more on edge. A familiar rush of excitement buzzed just below her skin while her stomach twisted with worry. Jeralt had advised her to get some rest, but she doubted that she’d be able to fall asleep even if she tried.

_It shouldn’t be too long before they show up…_

“Rhea was always like that. No matter how much she tried to hide it, I could always sense something was off. When you were born, however, I had proof…” Jeralt said softly. 

Byleth merely nodded. While it hadn’t taken her long to notice something was off about Rhea, it _had_ taken her too long to discover what that something was.

“That is my fault… _”_ Sothis whispered.

If Byleth could’ve hugged Sothis at that moment, she would have.

“By your explanation, I take it that I died…” Jerald said softly.

Byleth flinched before nodding slowly. She clenched her hands tightly into a fist. 

_Father is here, but that means that so is Kronya..._

“If you’re right then-” Jeralt began.

It was at that moment that one of the mercenaries came through the door. “Jeralt! Sir! Sorry to barge in, but your presence is needed,” he informed Jeralt and Byleth. 

The mercenary’s eyes lingered on Byleth for a moment, a scowl flickering across his face. “B-Byleth? You-”

Jeralt immediately stood in front of Byleth, shielding her from the mercenary. Quickly Byleth wiped at her eyes and ran her hand through her hair.

“Do not worry, your hair is covering your ears, ” Sothis reassured her, knowing exactly what Byleth was wondering.

  
  


As they march out the door, hands on their weapons, Byleth couldn't help but feel tense as she scanned the forest. Its edges were just barely illuminated by the torches placed around camp.

She sighed softly as she touched the hilt of her sword. A realization dawned on her.

_The sword of the creator is missing…_

While she was used to the sword she currently had, the realization that the sword of the creator was missing made her feel oddly naked.

However, that was all forgotten when she laid her eyes on three incredibly familiar people.

_Dimitri...Claude...El_

  
  


They looked so young, their faces softer and their large eyes filled with light and happiness that Byleth believed had disappeared long ago.

_They...look so happy…_

“Byleth, ” Sothis said softly. There was a warning in her voice. She knew that if Byleth chose to dwell on this line of thought, it wouldn't end well.

Byleth didn't flinch, although it was a very near thing. It was truly jarring to see Claude's baby face free of facial hair, his eyes full of mischief but lacking malice. Dimitri no longer towering over her, a strange cold madness in his eyes. And Eldegard with her hair down, her gaze worried but lacking the harshness that she’d accumulated previously as the war dragged on.

Byleth wants to gather them in her arms in a hug and just tell them to promise them that it will all be alright, that now that they’re here, the worst is over. 

But she can't, she can't tell Dimitri that his father would be proud of him, of how he had fought valiantly to protect his friends. She can't tell Claude that he did his damndest to protect his people. She still remembered the look in his eyes as he handed her Failnaught with a soft yet defeated smile.

And Edelgard, Byleth’s throat seemed to close up as she looked at the girl. She remembered the look of horror in the girl’s violet eyes after she clashed with Dimitri, the way she would wake up at night screaming and crying, her hands clutching Byleth like a scared child.

_S-Sothis…_

“This is why I warned you, still…” Sothis whispered. “I am here. I am with you, and you are not alone. _”_

Byleth took a deep, shuddering breath, closing her eyes for a moment as she steeled herself. 

_Thank you, Sothis._

Byleth was sure of one thing, without a doubt. 

**She would prevent this war; fate be damned.**

  
  


“Please forgive our intrusion. We wouldn’t bother you were the situation not dire,” Dimitri apologized to Jeralt as he bowed slightly. His voice was much softer than Byleth remembered.

“What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?” Jeralt demanded, his voice stern. A scowl was practically etched into his face.

Byleth began assessing her would-be students. There were a few scrapes and scratches here and there, nothing a small heal spell wouldn’t fix.

_If only Linhardt or Dorothea were here, even Hubert would do._

Sothis groaned loudly, and Byleth could almost see her rolling her eyes.

_What is it, Sothis?_

“You have healing magic, did you forget _?”_ Sothis reminded her.

_I do?_

“Yes!” Sothis exclaimed as if she couldn’t believe she had to explain this.

Still, a bit confused on how Byleth raised her hand. A soft warmth tingled across her palm as the heal spell washed across her students.

As she drew her hand back, Byleth blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected it, but it was definitely something she was thankful to know.

“Thank you,” Edelgard said, a soft smile on her lips as she looked at Byleth. “You’re a healer?”

For a moment, Byleth didn’t know what to say, so she just shrugged.

After all, she didn’t really have an answer for it herself.

Jeralt shot Byleth an odd look but said nothing. 

“A-Anyway, we’re being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend. Again, I mean,” Dimitri asked.

Byleth glanced at Jeralt meeting his gaze. He sighed before turning back to the trio in front of him. “Bandits? Here?”

Edelgard nodded. “It’s true. They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp.”

Claude sighed, shaking his head. “We’ve been separated from our companions, and we’re outnumbered. They’re after our lives...not to mention our gold.”

The scene is playing out much like Byleth remembered. While she doesn't remember everything, she does remember that very soon, she and her father will be dragged into a battle against Bandits to prevent them from reaching the village.

Things still feel a bit hazy, and Byleth doesn't know if it's the mental exhaustion or nervousness.

“You were sleepy and annoyed the first go-around, _”_ Sothis pointed out. 

Despite the fog almost clouding her mind, the familiar lure of battle hooks Byleth guiding her out into the field, weapon in hand.

  
  


_~~~_

Byleth was truly shocked. Compared to all the other battles she’d fought, the bandits were laughably easy.

Even without the sword of the creator at her side, Byleth takes to battle like a fish to water. And as that familiar ache fills her body just beneath the buzzing excitement, Byleth grins. She feels at home.

It's almost routine at this point. Byleth knows her students, how to guide them on the battlefield. And of course, she knows how each of them fights, Claude light on his feet letting arrows soar from his bow with accuracy she’d only seen matched by Bernadette and Ashe. 

Edelgard easily tore down an opponent's defense with a well-placed strike of her ax, only to dance away, allowing Dimitri to rush forward and catch the opponent off guard.

Byleth knows about Edelgard’s tendency to attempt to do everything herself, so she rushes to the frontlines to cover the girl.

Byleth runs forward and grabs the back of Edelgard’s uniform, yanking her back and out of harm's way just as an arrow buries itself in a nearby tree.

As Jeralt eliminates the archer who fired said arrow and Byleth thinks she hears Claude let out a low whistle of amazement.

It isn’t long before the bandit leader, Kostas makes his appearance. Byleth scowls, her eyes narrowing slightly before she turns to Claude and jerks her head in the direction of Kostas.

She saw a look of surprise flicker across his face seconds before he nodded. As he let an arrow fly, Byleth watched as it struck true, Kostas falling backward.

A small burst of joy ran through her, and a second later, it evaporated like water on a hot day as Kostas leaped to his feet.

_Sothis…_

“Do not speak to me in that tone, Byleth! This is not my fault! _”_ Sothis spluttered.

Byleth knows where this is headed now that Kostas is on his feet. She steps forward, ready to draw her sword to protect Edelgard once more.

“What are you thinking! Don't go running to death’s door, you fool!” Sothis shouted, frustration clear in her voice. Byleth can practically see Sothis facepalming.

_Then what do you suppose I do?_

“Magic, you have access to magic inaccessible by most, _”_ Sothis sighed.

Kostas does not give Byleth much time to think; however, steeling herself, Byleth draws her sword as she throws one hand out.

Truthfully Byleth didn't know what she expected as a hot, almost searing heat gathered in her palm, but she definitely didn't expect the lightning that arced from her fingers and lit up the battlefield with a flash of white light before striking Kostas.

  
  


At first, Kostas drops to the ground, yowling like a dog run over by a cartridge. His large body stiff as a board, and spittle flying from his mouth.

Byleth flinched as she forced her hand closed, stopping the lighting as she drew her hand back. She glanced down at the palm, noticing that it looked a bit red. Once again, a fog seemed to settle in her mind smothering her thoughts slightly.

The world swam before Byleth’s eyes. She closed them, squeezing them tightly as she shook her head, trying to shake off the fatigue and dizziness.

“Wow, he's resilient, ” Claude said, letting out a low whistle.

As if the universe itself was out to spite her, Byleth opens her eyes to see Kostas clumsily scrambling away into the forest.

“That’s one way to put it, ” Byleth huffed as she sheathed her sword.

She is given no time to rest as Alois and the Knights of Seiros finally show up, causing the rest of the bandits to flee.

  
  


Byleth is shaken out of her stupor by Alois practically running over to her father, his heavy armor clanking with every step. While Alois is enthusiastically waving to get Jeralt attention, Jeralt looks like he's watching a disaster grow closer and closer with each step. 

A soft chuckle leaves Byleth’s lips at the sight as she takes the brief respite to stretch her limbs. She leaned back against a nearby tree as her fatigue seemed to catch up with her.

”Byleth’s growing up, ” she heard one of her father's mercenaries say, his voice full of emotion. However, even more of them were laughing as they watched Jeralt attempt to ignore Alois.

”Why do they act as though they just realized your age?” Sothis asked, confusion clear in her voice. She spoke low as though she was worried about the mercenaries hearing her.

_They've always been like that._

”Truly?” Sothis said. ”Hmmm.”

”Is this your child?” Alois asks Jeralt loudly, cheer and enthusiasm coating his voice. Byleth hears her father grumble a few curses under his breath. 

Despite the ache forming behind her eyes, Byleth couldn't help the faint smile that crossed her face.

Before, she’d found Alois a more than a bit overbearing and found it much easier to talk to the man in small doses. But now she couldn't help but be thankful to see him once more.

_Even when we fought, he seemed hesitant to raise his sword against me. In the end, Lysithea was the one who struck him down…_

Byleth sighed, running a hand through her hair, wincing slightly as the hand she’d used to cast the lightning magic throbbed slightly.

_Hopefully, it might be easier to get him away from Rhea’s side with father's help._

”I appreciate your help back there. Your skill is beyond question. You’re clearly an experienced mercenary,” Edelgard said. 

Byleth looked up, realizing that the three students were standing in front of her. Byleth pushed away from the tree, standing up straight as her eyes roved over the trio.

She couldn't help but notice when Claude's eyes slowly moved over her. He glanced at her hair, and for a moment, Byleth resisted the urge to make sure her ears were hidden.

”Ah yes," Dimitri added, looking quite flustered. "I forgot to thank you for helping us out and forgot to introduce myself!" He does a short little bow. "I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd."

"Claude von Riegan," Claude said, the corners of his mouth quirked up in an all too familiar smile. 

"And I am Edelgard von Hresvelg. Once more, I must thank you for coming to our aid. You are Captain Jeralt's child, are you not? The Blade Breaker. Former Captain of the Knights of Seiros oft praised as the strongest knight in history. No wonder you were exceptional out there. Did I miss anything?" She said as if reciting a well-known legend.

  
  


_What did I say last time? It doesn't matter._

”I suppose so, ” Byleth muttered. ”Although I didn't know that he was Captain.”

The fact still felt strange to Byleth. Her mind had trouble picturing Jeralt as a Captain, especially to the Church’s knights.

Claude looked at her with wide eyes. ”You mean, you don't know?” Byleth didn't miss the small spark in his eyes as he stared intently at her. ”I was sure everyone had heard of the legends.”

”This one always has been a bit preceptive, ” Sothis sighed.

Frowning, Byleth shook her head. ”My father is a very private man.” she muttered.

”Oh, I didn't mean that as a bad thing, ” Claude chuckled quickly, backtracking.

”We have heard of you as well, ” Edelgard continues. ”The Ashen demon, quick as night and the blade breaker’s only equal. Together they ravaged battlefields destroying enemies with ease, leaving behind a trail of broken blades and bodies in their wake.”

Sothis burst out laughing as though she’d just been told the greatest joke in the world.

_Sothis?_

”I-I am sorry, Byleth, ” she barely managed to force out in between bouts of laughter.

_Wait...were you laughing at me?_

”No, I am laughing at what the humans seem to think of you, ” Sothis said as she slowly began to calm down. 

Byleth scowled at Sothis’s answer. After all, it wasn't as if the legend was completely false. The fact that Edelgard knew Byleth before they had formerly met, though, caused a small amount of warmth to blossom in her chest.

"Which brings me to my proposition. The way you held your ground against the bandits' leader was captivating! You never lost control of the situation. It showed me that I still have much to learn, ” Dimitri said.

  
  


"Your skill is precisely why I must ask you to consider lending your services to the Empire." Edelgard cut in. "I might as well tell you now. I am no mere student. I am also the Adrestian Empire's-"

"Halt, Edelgard. Please allow me to finish my own proposition."

Byleth couldn't help the faint smile that formed on her face, or rather she was just too tired to bother hiding it.

She remembered this, each of them trying to eagerly sway her to their side so that she’d lend her skills to their kingdoms. 

While the sight looked harmless, Byleth couldn't help the darkness that seemed to weasel its way in. Her knowledge of the future warping the sight and making her nausea. She couldn't even focus on what the trio was saying. 

_No...just…_

”Byleth! Answer them; they're asking you questions!” Sothis shouted. Byleth startled slightly, she didn't know if Sothis purposefully shouted to draw Byleth out of her own thoughts, but she was grateful.

Meeting the eyes of the trio in front of her, Byleth spoke. ”I don't know.” She sighed.

_Best to go with the safe answer._

However, when a scowl formed on Claude’s face, Byleth immediately got the feeling that it was definitely not a safe answer. 

  
  


While Byleth was wondering whether or not she should use a divine pulse, Claude chuckled. ”You don't know where you were born or how old you are?” He grinned at her. ”You just keep getting more and more mysterious by the moment.”

  
  


”Byleth, ” Sothis groaned softly.

_What? I was honest; I really don't know!_

“How do you not know?” Dimitri asked incredulously. ”Next, you will say you say you know nothing about the Church.”

“I don't,” Byleth replied instantly.

It wasn't like she was completely lying either. There were questions she had about the Church of Seiros that had been left unanswered.

“What? It's nearly impossible to live in Fòdlan and not know about the Church of Seiros. This is truly incredible, ” Claude said, a familiar glint in his eyes. Almost like he found a new toy.

“But you can use healing spells, ” Edelgard insisted, looking confused. ”Normally, those without any faith can't use such magic.”

Byleth shrugged. ”I have faith in my abilities and my father's, as well as the mercenaries, ” she said honestly.

The trio stared at her with wide eyes; for some reason, they looked completely stunned.

_Was...that the wrong answer?_

”Looks like you did not need to tell them much about yourself to impress them, ” Sothis muttered. ”But then again, these three always did seem to take to you rather quickly.”

  
  


_I wasn't trying to impress them; however, I simply spoke the truth._

  
  


Sothis giggled, the sound causing an almost soothing warmth to roll over Byleth’s skin. ”I know, that is what makes you so special.”

Byleth has to stop herself from scowling in confusion. However, no matter how much she tried to prod an explanation out of Sothis. She did not get one.

  
  


~~~

After Jeralt takes her aside and explains the situation, they're off to the academy. Despite her desperate want for some rest and a bit of quiet, Byleth’s ear is talked off by just about everyone, with Claude, Alois, and her father's mercenaries being the biggest offenders.

_I need to find a way to stop the war. I need to protect my students. I need to find a way to stop Rhea. I need to keep El safe-_

”Please stop. Your thoughts are making me dizzy. They've been running in a circle for an hour now, ” Sothis groaned softly. 

_Sorry Sothis, I just-_

”I know, but you are going to run yourself into the ground before we even arrived at the monastery, ” she replied. ”All of them seem to want some of your attention, so give them some. It could be a welcomed distraction.”

”Your name is Byleth correct?” Alois boomed, practically skipping with joy at Jeralt’s side. ”Goodness, you look absolutely nothing like your father! The shade of your hair looks very familiar; however, hmm..”

Byleth scowled, carefully catching a strand of it between her fingers. The last thing she needed was Claude of all people catching sight of her ears.

”I wonder if you called the Sword of the Creator while in range if it would come to you, ” Sothis murmured more to herself than Byleth.

_Called it...do you mean like a pet?_

Byleth frowned as Sothis’s words conjured the image of the Sword of the Creator suddenly bursting through the room of the holy tomb, slithering toward her like a pet snake.

”It is not some run of the mill pet!” Sothis exclaimed although she didn't seem offended. In fact, it sounded a lot like she was holding back laughter.

  
  


”Ah, yes, I remember now it reminds me quite a bit of Lady Rhea’s hair!” Alois said, a wide grin on his face.

Byleth does not like that implication. In fact, she has to bite the inside of her cheek in an effort not to grimace. And yet she still remembers how Rhea had treated her as though she was familiar, how partial she’d been to her, even how she’d woken up with her head in Rhea’s lap as the woman sang softly to her.

She remembers how, in an instant, any warmth had left the woman's eyes the moment she chose to side with Edelgard.

This time Sothis doesn't need to draw Byleth out of her own thoughts, as Byleth grows too distracted by everyone trying to talk at once, along with the knights all speaking to each other, trying to catch up. And the mercenaries singing, it's rowdy, a bit too rowdy, but at the same time, for once, Byleth welcomes the noise.

“This will be your first time at the monastery. I’d be happy to show you around,” Dimitri offered Byleth, a small smile on his face.

“It really is Fódlan in a nutshell. The good and the bad,” Claude added. This time Byleth doesn’t miss the slight hint of sadness in his voice. “If you like, I wouldn’t mind giving you the grand tour.” He offered Byleth, giving her a wink.

“This one has always been shameless; he and Cichol are a lot alike,” Sothis said, and Byleth almost choked at her words.

_Claude and Seteth? Alike?_

No matter how much Byleth tries to picture it, the only images that come to mind are seeing Seteth ranting about Claude to Manuela in an attempt to get his pranks under control. But that was after Claude had ‘borrowed’ a bunch of sheets and rope to make ghosts, which he then hung from the balcony outside Lysithea’s dorm. The poor girl’s screams had awoken half the monastery.

  
  


“Like it or not, we’ll be there soon enough,” Edelgard said.

Byleth glanced down at her as Claude let out a soft huff. “What’s wrong with a bit of friendly banter?” Claude asked, his tone still light and cheerful.

“There’s nothing wrong with conversation,” Edelgard replied. Although her tone was neutral, Byleth couldn’t help but notice that her lips were pressed into a line.

_So she still makes that face when she’s getting annoyed…_

  
  


“There’s tons of stuff to do at the monastery as well, Byleth,” Claude says casually, throwing an arm over Byleth’s shoulder. It was strange hearing her name from his lips instead of the usual Professor or Teach. “We have amazing food in the dining hall, a beautiful greenhouse. We also have a pretty large fishing pond if your into that type of thing.”

At the word fishing, Sothis groans loudly while a slight burst of excitement runs through Byleth. “I love fishing,” she blurted out before she can stop herself.

“Haven’t you had enough fishing!” Sothis exclaimed, sounding as though she had lived through some traumatic event.

_You can never do too much fishing._

“I beg to differ,” Sothis huffed.

If Byleth had been paying attention to Edelgard, she might’ve noticed the way the girl looked at her with slightly wide eyes before a soft smile spread over her lips.

“I think you’ll have a lot of fun with us at the academy. We have plenty of fishing tournaments, both formal and between students; you can catch all the fish you like,” Dimitri informed her with a smile on his face.

“Really?” Byleth asked, even though she already knew.

“You can cook them as well, of course. Can you cook?” Dimitri asked.

“Look at you, trying to steal her away and woo her with a candlelit dinner,” Claude chuckled with a slight smirk on his lips.

“I-I am not trying to steal or woo anyone as you put it!” Dimitri spluttered out a light blush covering his cheeks.

Edelgard gives a soft laugh at their banter, a full smile on her lips. Suddenly Byleth’s head feels very, very empty.

Sothis giggled.“I’ve never seen a person’s brain so filled with one woman,” She mused.

“There it is,” Edelgard announced as their group exited the forest. As they did, Byleth's eyes instantly went to the horizon as she caught sight of the all too familiar building. 

It’s large ivory towers stretched far into the sky, sparkling faintly in the sunlight. The lush green fields of grass that surrounded it only made it stand out more. The first time Byleth had seen it in all its glory, she had found it a bit intimidating. Now her heart ached at the thought of returning to a place she considered her second home.

“Garreg Mach Monastery.” Edelgard said.

**~~~~**

Byleth had tried to mentally prepare herself as much as possible, but she still couldn’t the fridge chill that washed over her the moment she stepped into the monastery. With that, however, came a small sense of awe as she stared with wide eyes at the towering statue and the pristine walkways no longer filled with rubble. Not a single scratch was on any of the walls or floors; all of it seemed so _fragile_. Like a single touch would cause the monastery to crumble in a heartbeat.

_It’s...beautiful…._

“Rhea’s here...” Jeralt grumbled, turning his gaze upward. Before, Byleth had thought it was annoyance in his voice, but now she recognized it as barely disguised contempt.

She followed his gaze doing her best to keep her expression blank. Rhea stood where she had Byleth’s first time around, the balcony connected to her room, giving Rhea a full view of the new arrivals to Garreg Mach.

However, this time, Byleth saw an odd expression briefly cross Rhea’s face as they locked eyes.

_Sothis, there’s no chance that Rhea remembered anything, correct?_

“No, she would not have her memories of the future like you do. Even Cichol and Cethleann were not aware of your use of the divine pulse when it happened,” Sothis reminded her.

“Byleth, make sure to stay close to me,” Jeralt told her, his eyes never leaving Rhea. 

“Same to you, Father.”

**~~~**

Byleth scowled, feeling like she was in a daze as she looked around the room.

_Was Rhea’s meeting hall always this big?_

  
  


“Seiros always was a bit narcissistic, and although Cichol hides it well now, his ego was equally as big. Their bouts were legendary; I still remember when they challenged me to a sparring match, particularly demanding I fight them. When they lost, which of course they did, I forbid Cethleann to heal them so that they would learn their lesson,” Sothis told Byleth, warmth, and fondness coating her voice.

She gave a small giggle. “ Honestly, I’m very sure that Seiros went along with Cichol’s idea because he bribed her with sweets and meat. She always was a glutton. There were even times where I was convinced that she loved food more than me…” Sothis trailed off, suddenly going quiet, her happy story ending on a more sorrowful note.

_They sound like wonderful memories, Sothis._

Jeralt sighed suddenly, causing Byleth to look over at him. “It’s been years since I’ve last set eyes on this place. To be forced to see her now…”

“What was it like? Being one of Rhea’s knights,” Byleth asked, keeping her tone low. Before Byleth had never gotten the chance to ask him, she had meant to earlier, but the bandits had shown up before she could even try.

The frown on his face grew then he shook his head. “I’ll tell you about it a bit later. We have bigger problems at the moment.”

As if on cue, Seteth enters the room with Rhea close behind. Byleth watches the woman like a hawk. A sudden wave of anger washed over Byleth, trying its damnedest to break the emotional wall she had built up on the way to the monastery. The wall is built thick and tall, thankfully, but the cracks seem to be growing deeper with each second.

She turned her gaze to the floor before she ended up doing something drastic.

“Thank you for your patience, Jeralt. My name is Seteth; I am an advisor to the archbishop,” Seteth says, his tone as formal as always.

Byleth swallows hard; she still remembers the fear and sorrow that permeated his voice when Flayn was struck down, how his rage had twisted his features, making him look feral and inhuman. For once, Byleth can not meet Seteth’s gaze because she knows if she does, the wall will break.

“Right. Hello.” Jeralt replied, his tone curt.

“It has been a long time, Jeralt. I wonder...was it the will of the goddess that we have another meeting like this?” Rhea said, her expression calm, a small, well-practiced smile on her lips. Byleth hated the fact that Rhea’s voice still had the effect of soothing her slightly.

Byleth begins slowly looking around the room, noticing all the entrances and exits she can see. She hopes that Rhea and Seteth mistake her expression for awe rather than curiosity.

The conversation between her father and Rhea plays out much the same as the first time around, with him blatantly rejecting Rhea’s offer to rejoin the Knights and Rhea, in turn leaving to attend to her duties.

Once Rhea and Seteth leave, Jeralt curses under his breath. “Sorry, kid.”

Byleth looked up at him, a faint smile on her lips as she shook her head. “The only way I can accomplish what I need to do is by staying here.”

_Even if I left, it wouldn’t stop the war. It wouldn’t save the students..._

“If you’re sure,” Jeralt sighed, clearly not pleased by the idea.

He looks even less pleased once Manuela and Hanneman arrive, especially when Byleth takes their advice of going on a stroll to tour the academy and meet everyone.

“Are you sure you want to do this? If not, just say the word, and we’ll be gone tonight,” Jeralt offers once they’re outside, away from prying eyes.

It’s an escape rope, a quick way out.

Byleth shakes her head. “No, I can do this,” she assures him with a small smile. “I want to meet everyone. I want to fix this,” she says softly.

Byleth would later come to regret not grabbing that escape rope when she had the chance.


	3. It is F̷̨̪̬̦͔͇̅̏̀͜ạ̸̭̣̭̊͒͗̚t̷̬̻̍̋͋̊̚͝͝ẹ̸̻͕̭͖̜̠̓͋͊̔

- **Byleth-**

She feels as if she’s in a daze as she runs around most conversations, passing one ear and out the other. The excitement buzzes around her, flooding her senses, her skin tingles, and a low throb has settled in between her eyes.

Blyeth talks to Claude first, or rather he talks to, her catching her just as she leaves the library. She somehow manages to slip away from him to talk to Dimitri; then, she goes to speak to Edelgard. It isn’t long before talking to the house leaders quickly turns into talking to everyone.

Everyone is smiling, and despite being close in age to Byleth, they feel young, too young, and unaware of the horrors right around the corner how quickly their mistakes will catch up with them.

  
  


Byleth feels as though she’s being watched from every angle, and in a way, she is. People are staring at her, her hair, her gait, and while she can’t exactly blame them, she desperately wishes she could disappear.

  
  


Sothis feels her fear before even Byleth does. “Perhaps, we should stop by that horrible pond you love so much,” Sothis suggests softly.

_I thought you hated fishing?_

  
  


“We are not going fishing, Byleth! I just want to see the little fuzzy things!” Sothis spluttered.

  
  


Byleth frowned at Sothis’s words, a bit confused.

_Fuzzy...things?_

Then it dawned on Byleth.

_Do you mean the kittens? Sothis...did you forget the word for…_

“Yes! Yes, those little creatures, I would like to see them immediately,” Sothis said quickly before Byleth could finish her thought.

Sothis isn’t embarrassed, however, because Byleth smiles softly, and her thoughts become quieter, slightly calmer even. And truthfully, that was all Sothis could ask for.

  
  


**~~~**

As Byleth approaches the lake, she can hear the familiar meows of the cats. It sounded like they were begging for either attention or food.

“We are not fishing!” Sothis exclaimed as Byleth glanced at the pier.

_What if the cats want some fish? They sound hungry._

“If they are hungry, then we shall give them some poultry. Besides, you know as well as I do that you’ll be out here fishing all day if I let you,” Sothis pointed out with a huff.

_It was only six hours._

Sothis merely groaned loudly at Byleth’s thoughts.

As she turned the corner, Byleth let out a small sigh of relief when she saw that no one was there. The physical exhaustion that had been weighing on her since she’d first woken up in this time had eased up slightly; the mental exhaustion, however,, had not.

“Perhaps you need more sleep,” Sothis suggested, although both of them knew that wasn’t the issue.

Byleth smiled slightly as she picked up the small orange kitten pawing at her feet. As she cradled its small body in her arms, she heard Sothis let out a small giggle.

_When this is all over, when I managed to fix this, another five-year nap would be nice. At least this time I’ll get to sleep in a bed…_

It was relatively quiet near the lake, outside of a small meow from the cats every so often and the occasional student walking by. Byleth takes a few moments to allow the calm to wash over her as she stared out at the lake. 

A soft rustling enters Byleth’s ears. She glances around but does not move as she feels a pair of eyes on her. 

_Sothis is it-_

“No, it is neither Cichol nor Cethleann I sense. I also do not sense any malicious intent,” Sothis informs her.

Byleth does have a slight clue as to who it might be watching her, but since the person is not a threat, she relaxes, the tension melting from her limbs once more.

“Byleth, we should-” Sothis began after a few moments, her voice unusually small and hesitant.

_I know, we should tell Rhea of our decision._

Sothis was silent as Byleth continued to stand there. Byleth was thankful for that; after all, she was sure this would be the last time she would be able to relax like this in a while.

  
  


“This is not your burden alone,” Sothis murmured suddenly. “Although compared to your initially horrific idea, I suppose this is much, much better.”

A small smile crawled its way across Byleth’s face, although it was more sad than humorous.

_I’m glad that I was able to talk to you once more, Sothis. I missed you._

“Flattery will not help you in regards to that, the nerve to request something so selfish,” Sothis responded with a huff. She was clearly still angry about that. “I missed talking to you like this as well,” she said softly after a moment.

~~~

“It is a rare sight to come across a human as loving as you,” Sothis said softly. “You take on all of the burdens of these hooligans, without asking for an award nor expecting one. You are a very foolish girl, you know.”

Byleth couldn’t help but notice the melochalny tone coating her voice.

_Sothis?_

“I have no clue how you were able to thrive as a mercenary considering everything you do for those children. A smarter person would’ve left the moment they realized what was in store for them,” Sothis added after a moment.

That was a first. Byleth had never been told that she was a terrible mercenary.

“What about your own feelings? You never speak up despite running yourself into the ground,” Sothis continued.

_They do not matter._

At her response Sothis went quiet, and for a moment, Byleth began to wonder if she’d said the wrong thing.

_Soth-_

“You are being called, Byleth,” Sothis murmured after a moment her voice strangely hollow. She sounded almost upset, but Byleth does not think she did anything that angered her.

Byleth blinks; she was standing in front of Rhea. Seteth is standing beside Rhea, as usual, a deep frown of disapproval clear on his face as he looks at Byleth. Hanneman and Manuela were standing on either side of her, both of them staring at her.

Seeing Seteth look at her with such a distrustful expression made Byleth feel almost nostalgic, slightly happy even. Rhea looks as passive as ever. The well-practiced yet hollow smile on her face makes Byleth’s skin crawl. 

“Please forgive me,” Byleth said softly. “What was it that you were asking of me?”

Seteth’s eyes narrowed slightly at her words. “Perhaps, if you were paying attention, you’d know that you are currently choosing which house you wish to lead,” he bit out, arms folded across his chest. “More proof that you are entirely unworthy of doing so.” 

Byleth could practically see the distrust Seteth had for her rolling off him in waves. It was almost impressive.

Rhea sends Seteth a look, that makes Seteth falter slightly. It was eerie how her eyes slowly glanced up at him, the rest of her remaining still as a statue.

Byleth takes a deep breath. “The Black Eagles,” she responded immediately.

Manuela claps her hands together. “Then, I shall be taking Golden Deer!” She announced cheerfully as she gave Byleth a grin.

At Byleth’s other side, Hanneman let out a small sigh. “Not even pretending I had a choice in the matter are you, Manuela? Well, it’s fine by me. I’ve had an interest in the Blue Lions since the start.” There is a slight twinkle in his eyes. “It will give me an opportunity to further my study of their Crests.”

“Your heart has made its choice, then,” Rhea said, which caused Byleth to glance up at her. Rhea’s smile looks distant, detached almost, as she met Byleth’s gaze. “All that I ask is that you guide these open minds with virtue, care, and sincerity.”

  
  


Seteth scowls. “They are all promising youths who bear the weight of Fodlan’s future upon their shoulders. I hope that you appreciate what an honor it is to lead them.” His tone is curt as he stares at Byleth down with powerful intensity.

Byleth’s ears twitched slightly as she caught the sound of footsteps approaching the door. She is sure that Rhea and Seteth hear them as well. Byleth had never thought of it before,, but if Rhea could become a dragon, Seteth and Flayn should’ve been able to.

_But they didn’t transform like Rhea did. Even when..._

As the door opens behind her, Byleth shakes the gruesome image from her thoughts, making a note to ask Sothis later.

“Brother?” From the back of the room, Flayn emerged, a slight skip in her step. Byleth swallowed hard as she met Flayn’s gaze. Flayn’s eyes widened slightly before she glanced away, then immediately looked at Byleth once more. “P-pardon me, ma’am, but your hair and eyes…”

Byleth frowned before catching a few strands of hair between her fingers. She was starting to miss her original hair color more and more.

It was only when Seteth cleared his throat, that Flayn glanced at him. She clears her own throat before speaking a slight smile on her face, “I am sincerely sorry, I did not mean to interrupt.” Flayn continued as she stared at Byleth. “Pardon my rudeness, but...who is this?”

Byleth finds Flayn’s gaze slightly painful but she does not look away. All Byleth can do is hope that she doesn’t look as pale as she truly feels.

_I’m sorry, Flayn…_

“This is our newest professor at the academy,” Seteth answered her. “Flayn, did you require something of me?”

“Oh my! A new addition to the Officer’s Academy,” Flayn said, her eyes widening with surprise. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor…”

“Byleth,” she responds softly. “Byleth Eisner.”

“I am Seteth’s little sister, Flayn! It is a joy to make your acquaintance,” She says cheerfully as she continues to stare at Byleth.

_I suppose it can’t be helped._

  
  


“Have we met somewhere before?” Flayn asked after a moment, and Byleth almost freezes as a ball of ice seems to unfurl in her chest. “Your hair and eye color are quite unique.”

  
  


Byleth couldn’t help but wonder how Flayn would react if she were able to see the ears Byleth was currently hiding.

_We have met Flayn, you used to sit beside me as I fished. I still remember how you cheered when I reeled in that enormous trout. We parted in perhaps the worst circumstances possible. I do remember you, in fact I doubt I could ever forget you…_

“I don’t think we have ever met,” Byleth replied, a slight scowl on her face. The words left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Flayn frowned. “Are you sure? You seem so-”

Seteth clears his throat rather loudly this time, and everyone’s attention slides back to him. “Flayn, if there’s nothing too pressing at the moment then allow us to focus on the topic at hand.” He looks at the three instructors before him. “There is something important you should be aware of.”

As Seteth goes on to explain the mock battle that will occur between the three houses in a few days and how Byleth _specifically_ should not disappoint the Archbishop, Byleth has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from flinching at the thought of everyone fighting once more.

  
  


When he finally excuses them, Byleth sighs softly, not bothering to hold in her exhaustion anymore as she tries to push the image of a bloodsoaked battlefield out of her mind.

_It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine…_

“It’s so wonderful to have another female instructor,” Manuela says grinning as she slides up to Byleth looking eager. “You are adorable; I can’t wait to have drinks together.”

Byleth scowls, not remembering this her first time around her eyes widen slightly in surprise as Hanneman yanks her out of Manuela's grasp. “Please do not scare off the new professor with your lecherous suggestions. I would like to see if she has a Crest before you whisk her away.”

Manuela rolls her eyes and yanks Byleth back. It was as though she were a toy being fought over by two young children. “Ugh, please, no one cares about your dusty old Crest research. You can steal her away after we’ve had our fun together.”

“What did you say, woman? I’ll have you know that-”

Byleth is incredibly relieved as their usual bickering begins, she uses this time to sneak out of the audience chamber.

_That didn’t happen before...so why did it change?_

Normally Sothis would chime in to help her but at the moment she was incredibly quiet, Byleth would’ve been nervous about that but she could feel Sothis in her body just as strongly as before. 

_She’s probably asleep again. She was just as tired as I was, after all._

Byleth frowned as she began to take catalog of her actions since remeeting the house leaders. However, none of it seemed significant enough to change what had previously occurred.

  
  


Whenever she had used the divine pulse in the past, the result had been very evident; this time she wasn’t so sure. Byleth sighed loudly as she massaged the corner of her eyes with two fingers trying to ease the headache that was quickly coming on.

Once outside she is ambushed by Claude who is grinning while Hilda stands behind him looking bored as usual. However, Hilda does give her a slight smile and a small wave.

“Finally! We were waiting _forever._ What did Rhea even want with you?” As he spoke, Byleth could see the mischievous glint in his eyes. Byleth begins to wonder if she should use a divine pulse to escape whatever scheme Claude has planned up this time.

“Ugh, did you have to drag me along with you, Claude? I was busy, you know,” Hilda huffed.

“Ah yes, you looked very busy napping at your desk,” Claude said, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

Hilda giggled. “A dainty girl like me needs all the rest I can get.”

Byleth couldn’t help the small look of shock that flashed across her face at Hilda’s words. The distinct memory of Hilda cleaving through the neck of a soldier’s horse with an ax instantly springs to Byleth’s mind.

As Claude rolls his eyes, Byleth frowns.

_Wait, this didn’t happen before either…_

While this interaction between Claude and Hilda is new, their playful bickering isn’t.

“What brings you two here?” Byleth finally asked, drawing their attention back to her.

“Well, I figured that I should show you around the Academy,” Claude offered, that smile never leaving his face. “I did promise to after all.”

“Really? You woke me up for this, Claude,” Hilda grumbled softly. “I could be having cake with Marianne right now.” She huffed as she pouted.

Claude sighed. “Alright, go. But don’t expect me to-”

Before he could finish, Hilda was darting away with a grin on her face.

“She’s very fast,” Byleth observed blankly as she watched the girl disappear around the corner. In fact, it was one of the few times Byleth had seen the girl move that quickly.

Claude shakes his head. “As I said before, I’m here to show you around the Academy.” He repeated as that familiar smile returned to his lips.

Byleth blinks slowly. “I’ve familiarized myself with the academy.” She responds after a moment.

“You mean when you were running around earlier looking lost? Before the cats swarmed you?” Claude chuckled.

  
  


His words confirm her suspicions from earlier. She is about to reprimand him, but her stomach growls, suddenly stopping her.

Claude laughs. “I suppose we should start our tour with the dining hall. You’re in luck; they’re serving roasted pheasant.”

Byleth sighed softly, remembering that she hadn’t eaten much this morning or last night, although if she was honest, her appetite had disappeared since she’d woken up in this time. “Alright, if you truly insist, I’ll take you up on your offer of a tour.”

Byleth follows close behind Claude as they walk, a small smile on her face as she watched everyone going about their day with barely a care in the world. 

“Here we are,” Claude says as they enter the dining hall. 

It’s just as lively as Byleth remembers, the occasional clinking of utensils and casual chatter filling the room. Although it does seem a bit louder than Byleth remembers, which does the slight headache, she has no favors.

“I suppose my ears would take some time for you to get used to,” Sothis yawned suddenly.

_Have you been awake this whole time Sothis?_

“No, I woke up right around when this sly boy whisked you away for a meal,” Sothis answered with a hint of amusement in her voice.

“I ordered our food,” Claude said, which caused Byleth to glance at him.

Sothis’s eyes narrow at his words. “He seems like even more of a handful than before.”

_I don’t think that’s possible._

“So you say,” she responded with a huff. “Although...wait, this did not happen before. What in the world is going on here?” 

“Thank you,” Byleth said softly as she followed Claude to a nearby table. As she does she catches sight of Marianne and Hilda sitting together. While Hilda is chatting away more animated than usual, Marianne is slightly less reserved, a bit more life in her eyes.

As Byleth takes a seat, her mouth partially waters as the hearty yet sweet scent of the roasted pheasant wafted into her nose. When her stomach growled again, Claude chuckled. “Go ahead and dig in.” He said as he began eating. 

Taking his advice, she begins eating. After years of being out on the road as a mercenary, she’d learned that she wasn’t allowed to be picky about food, the war only reinforced this even more. The food in the mess hall was just as delicious as Byleth remembered. She lets out a small hum around the fork in her mouth.

Byleth felt a slight tug somewhere in the depths of her mind, then Sothis let out a soft hum. “Quite a few things changed, I can understand why a change would occur with how Cethleann spoke to you. But the change with your fellow instructors and this boy inviting you to a meal is completely unusual.”

_You’re not the only one confused._

“How was your first time meeting Rhea?” Claude asked, his eyes on her. 

He’s prodding her trying to see what reaction she’ll give, however Byleth was already prepared for Claude’s questions.

She shrugged. “Fine.” She muttered softly.

“You really are a strange one, aren’t you,” Claude chuckled. “Barely phased by the archbishop herself. I’m sure Seteth wasn’t happy about that,” he says like it was the most amusing ever.

Truthfully Byleth is happy to see the hope in Claude’s eyes return, even if it was a bit at her expense.

“Were you expecting something to happen?” She asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

It is Claude’s turn to shrug this time. “As Alois said before, with your eye color and hair color like that you do resemble Rhea quite a bit.”

“I would hope that you are not causing any trouble for the Professor, Claude.”

Byleth glances over to see Dimitri taking a seat next to her, placing his plate on the table. Strangely enough, Dedue is not close behind him like usual; this causes a slight weight to lift off of Byleth’s chest like a small rush of relief flows through her body. She did not think she could look Dedue in the eyes just yet.

_He must be in the greenhouse..._

“This one always reminded me of those little fuzzy things, although I suppose with more claws and teeth,” Sothis says, while she says it more to herself than Byleth it does cause Byleth to glance over at Dimitri once more.

“Me? I would never, all I did was give Teach a tour,” Claude said with a slight smile, false innocence coating his voice.

“After you finished stalking me around the monastery,” Byleth adds softly before taking another bite of her food. She is merely teasing him but her blank expression does Claude no favors.

“Claude!” Dimitri exclaims in a reprimanding tone.

Claude smiles at Byleth. “I would expect nothing else from someone with your skill set.”

“You should work on yours,” Byleth replies without missing a beat.

It is only when Sothis bursts out laughing a second later that Byleth realizes what she’d said. She scowled around her fork in her mouth but said nothing else.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you going to teach here?” Dimitri asks her once he is done chewing. “I heard that you got a teaching position.”

Byleth frowns but doesn’t say anything; she’s still chewing.

“Ah, I apologize you are still eating. Please allow me to guess,” Dimitri says. He puts a hand to his chin. “Swordsmanship? With your skills, it seems quite likely.”

“Isn’t that Jeritza or whatever his name is teaching that already. I guess we can have more than one swordsmanship teacher, maybe he’ll teach a class instead. I wouldn’t mind you taking over his position though,” Claude adds, giving Byleth a wink.

Byleth merely continues eating a scowl on her face.

_Jeritza…_

While Byleth does not know much about the man himself, she does remember how he aided her during battle many times under the identity as DeathKnight. She was also very familiar with the fact that he will attempt to kidnap Flayn in the upcoming months.

  
  
  


“This boy has a lot of courage; I’ll give him that. Although not as much as the redheaded one,” Sothis huffs before sticking her tongue out at Claude despite the fact that he can’t see her.

_Do you mean Sylvain?_

  
  


“Yes, that one, he reminds me much of Macuil, completely lecherous. He and Indech tended to but heads quite often, well it was more Macuil ranting and raving while Indech stood there watching him,” Sothis told her.

_Sothis, I’ve been wondering this for a while, but can I change into a dragon?_

Sothis splutters at her question, “What would ever give you that idea?”

_Well Rhea can do it, and I’m assuming that Seteth and Flayn can as well so I was just wondering._

“You can not transform into a dragon Byleth!” Sothis exclaims as though it should be obvious.

_Really…_

While Byleth was disappointed about that fact Sothis groaned loudly. “Yes!”

“I can not recall ever hearing Jeritza say more than a few words, though.” Dimitri pointed out. “Can he really lecture a class? Byleth, what do you think?”

“I wouldn’t have any idea; I’ve never met him,” Byleth lies. It seems to be becoming much easier to do so.

Byleth doesn’t even remember if she met him while she was stumbling around the academy in a daze. Normally Jeritza tried to stand out as little as possible, except during battle. It truly was an odd sight to see when Byleth first engaged him in a sparring session, for once the man had looked happy.

“Ah, yes, that one, I am in favor of stabbing him now so that he does not attack later when we need to enter the holy tomb,” Sothis said.

_Sothis we can not stab him, he is technically our ally._

Sothis makes a strange noise of disbelief that sounds somewhere between a screech and a gasp. “He kidnapped Cethleann, punched _you_ in the face, tried to stab _you_ and not once did he attempt to apologize!”

_I know Sothis I was there, but despite all that he is a valuable and strong ally._

“Can we at least pull that ridiculous mask off of his face and punch him? I promise that you can use the divine pulse afterward,” Sothis huffs. “Also, do not take that tone with me, young lady.” Sothis reprimands sounding every bit like the mother she is.

_No, Sothis._

“Why not?” 

Before Byleth can explain why running over to Jeritza and punching him in the face was just a bad idea overall, the bell chimes.

“Welp I guess it’s time to head back,” Claude sighed as he climbed to his feet, empty plate in hand.

“Right, we should be on our way after all we’re supposed to meet our instructors,” Dimitri says as he takes Byleth’s empty plate along with his own.

His plate still had some food on it, strangely enough.

_Maybe he wasn’t hungry._

“This is new. Last time, you went directly to the students’ classroom to formally meet them. This time it would appear that they are doing some type of gathering.” Sothis murmurs.

_Now, if only we knew why it changed._

Byleth can feel Sothis grin. “This is so interesting. I wonder what other changes have occurred? What has stayed the same? Your appearance remains even though we are no longer fused, yet you are missing the sword of the creator. “

Sothis seems very intrigued by the prospect, almost like an excited child.

_The sword of the creator should be in the holy tomb again._

“We could go retrieve it tonight if you wish,” Sothis suggested as Byleth gets up from the table.

_I would love to but that may be a bit difficult especially considering Rhea seems to be watching me a bit closer than before. She’ll notice it is missing immediately, and knowing her she’ll blame my father first._

“You are right,” Sothis sighed with a scowl. “When we are alone, I would like to speak to you about something important,” she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone.

**~~~**

Byleth takes a deep breath, then she steps forward and pushes the door of the Black Eagle’s classroom open. Seven very familiar people stand from their seats and stare at Byleth with slightly wide eyes.

That number turns to eight when Linhardt jolts awake and glances toward her in his usual dazed fashion. Despite remeeting them shortly after arriving at the academy, it is still a jarring sight to see them all like this.

  
  


“Wait. So our new professor is...you?! I didn’t see that one coming,” Caspar says the shock clear on his face.

“Easy, Caspar.” Dorothea told him, giving him a slight glance. “Aren’t you being a bit rude?”

“You know it’s a waste of time to expect politeness from him of all people,” Linhardt sighed. “It will be a pleasure learning from you, Professor.” He said, turning his attention back to Byleth.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to take a nap,” He announces before returning to his desk to do just that. As usual, for this time at least, no one tries to stop him from doing so.

“I will never understand how he can sleep so much,” Sothis muttered, shaking her head.

Byleth is tempted to respond, but she decides it is probably best if she doesn’t.

Bernadetta let’s out a small shriek, taking a step back when Byleth glances at her for a second. “Ah! D-don’t look at me like that! Oh, and...please don’t talk to me too much either.” Bernadetta promptly turns around, giving a soft sigh.

Dorothea sighs as well, shaking her head slightly. “I’m sorry for the chaos you’ve walked into…” 

“I hear we are rather close in age, Professor. I hope you do not mind if we treat you like one of us. In our class, we try to treat each other as equals, despite any differences in age or status. Personally, I would love to include you in that inner circle,” Ferdinand said cheerfully, his usual smile present on his face.

“Please do, I don’t mind at all,” Byleth tells him hoping she doesn’t sound too eager. She feels like a dog that is trying to keep its tail from wagging.

“The fuzzy things,” Sothis whispers to herself before giggling softly.

Petra smiles and bows slightly. “You have a gut, Professor. I will take great joy from your teachings.”

Byleth understands what Petra is saying, she’s gotten used to it after all this time, but she merely watches as Dorothea turns to the girl. “Petra, I believe you mean to say that our professor has _guts_ . That’s a bit different from having _a_ gut.” Dorothea explains.

“You can’t go around saying someone so slim and attractive has a gut!” She continues politely reprimanding Petra.

Byleth wants to laugh as she remembers the look on Dorothea’s face the first time the girl had seen her eating. Dorothea had looked completely horrified and even had asked Byleth in a very hushed voice if Caspar told her to eat like that.

  
  


“Oh?” Petra says, a hint of confusion on her face. She frowns and bows slightly. “Please take my apologies. I have not yet mastered this language.”

Edelgard looks at Byleth with a small smile on her face. “Professor, I want you to know that it’s perfectly acceptable for you to treat me as you do the others. I may be the Imperial princess, but here at the academy, I’m just another student.”

“That said, know that I have high expectations of you. And high hopes. But I’m certain that you can lead the Black Eagle House to greatness,” Edelgard continued. 

Despite the cheerful and hopeful intentions behind Edelgard’s words Byleth can’t help but feel as though the weight of them is crushing her chest.

_El...I promise…_

“Sure, sure. Now, let’s break the ice with a training session!” Caspar said, his voice full of enthusiasm. “I want to see our new teacher in action!”

Petra looks at him with a scowl on her face. “Why will the ice be broken? Is this a custom I have missed in my studies?”

“Not real ice, just the ice of...umm…” Caspar begins to explain, although he seems to be having some trouble finding the right words. 

“It means that we’ll get to know each other,” Dorothea interjects for him.

“Exactly!” Caspar exclaimed with a grin.

Byleth feels a small tug in the back of her mind. Sothis lets out a soft hum but does not say anything.

“I don’t want to train! Let’s stay in the classroom and...learn from a book.” Bernadetta suggests softly, her back still turned to everyone.

Dorothea, ever the mediator, smiles at Byleth. “Let’s all calm down and have a nice cup of tea, how about it? Doesn’t that sound lovely, Professor?” She suggested.

“I do enjoy tea, but-” Byleth begins only to be interrupted by Linhardt’s loud snoring. Originally it had been a slight shock when she saw him able to sleep so deeply no matter what was happening; now that she knew _why_ she couldn’t help but worry about him.

The small glare Hubert shoots towards Linhardt does not go unnoticed. Much like before, he has remained quiet throughout this entire interaction, simply staring at Byleth with an intensity that matches Seteth’s.

“I dislike that one,” Sothis says, narrowing her eyes at Hubert.

_Are you saying that because you’re still mad, he startled you that time I was patrolling the academy at night?_

“Of course not! Who do you take me for!” Sothis huffs, her face twisted into a slight pout.

“A human has no reason to be that silent,” Sothis grumbles under her breath to herself.

“I know we all agreed to treat each other as equals, but there is a limit to what I can tolerate. The esteemed Black Eagle House requires order,” Ferdinand says although it sounds a bit more like a demand.

Hubert chuckles, shaking his head. “Looks like your first job will be to quiet down this racket. I don’t envy you.”

Edelgard gives a small huff. “Ugh, they’re not normally this...rowdy. I do hope you can manage, Professor.”

Byleth simply nods at her apology. 

**~~~**

Byleth is just about to visit Jeralt in his office when Hanneman catches her in the hallway.

As Byleth looks at him Sothis groans loudly enough that Byleth is pretty sure she feels the hum of it in her skull.

”You should’ve just returned to your room, ” Sothis sighed.

_I forgot about this happening; it has been a long day._

“I know, I am not blaming you, ” Sothis said softly as Byleth allows Hanneman to guide her to his office.

“I was hoping to see you again today. While you are here, I would like to see if you have a crest using this device. It will not cause any pain, of course, ” He says, gesturing to the mechanical device in the center of his office.

Compared to the stacks of books that littered his office and the pile of paperwork scarcely organized on his desk, the machine was pristine as if new.

Byleth couldn't help but look around, a small amount of fondness gathering in her chest.

_I still remember when Linhardt asked if he could use this room. Caspar practically dragged him to me to make him speak up._

”...you do know what crest is correct?” Hanneman asked, drawing her attention. 

”I do. I have one, ” Byleth answered instantly, hoping to finish this quickly.

However, when Sothis began spluttering, Byleth felt as though she’d done something wrong. ”What are you doing?” Sothis exclaimed. 

_I’m trying to wrap this up so that we can rest?_

_”_ No, you fool! I mean, why did you tell him that? You aren’t supposed to know anything about the church or Crest!” Sothis points out, sounding exasperated.

Byleth wants to curse as excitement lights up Hanneman’s face. 

That look alone convinces her that she has to use a divine pulse now.

As usual, it’s completely awful.

The pulse is quick, it always is, but as the sudden vertigo, endless pulsating headache washes over Byleth filling her vision with stars, she has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from groaning. 

When it is over, she takes a deep albeit shake breath as Sothis appears beside her. She’s levitating, her small body floating a little ways off the ground so that she could look at Byleth’s face.

“Alright, let’s try this again. Good thing you’ve got thirteen of these a day,” Sothis sighs.

Byleth frowns as she forces herself to focus, the fog smothering her thoughts, made the task almost impossible. 

“What is a Crest?” Byleth asked. She was pretty sure that's what she said to him originally, although even if it isn’t Sothis does not begin to panic when the words leave her mouth.

“Ah right, I suppose you would not,” Hanneman said nodding.

When Byleth scowled at him, he chuckled. “Alois has no indoor voice and no self control.” He answered simply already having an idea of what she was wondering.

  
  


“Byleth,” Someone called right before Hanneman can launch into his very lengthy explanation about Crests.

Secretly incredibly relieved, Byleth turned to see her father standing in the doorway. Beside her, Sothis is staring at Jeralt with wide eyes. “He-he, why is he here?” Sothis exclaims, looking shocked and confused.

Byleth thinks she hears a slight amount of fear in Sothis’s voice, but she’s too exhausted to dig any deeper than that. “Father,” Byleth replied as she crossed the room to meet him.

It is still a shock to see him. Byleth feels as if she has to quickly run to his side, lest her father disappears right in front of her.

Jeralt scowls as he glances around the room before eyeing Byleth oddly. “Are you busy? I need to speak with you.”

Sothis floats through the air, letting out a soft hum as she examines Jeralt. “Was he supposed to show up but didn’t because you used the divine pulse?” Sothis wondered more to herself than Byleth.

“Ah, I suppose you must be going. Please do come see me when you are free,” Hanneman told her as she left the room. 

Despite the exhaustion, Byleth did not miss the way Jeralt’s eyes narrowed at Hanneman’s words. Sothis floats close behind Byleth as Byleth follows her father.

~~~

Jeralt has just shut the door when Byleth collapses on to the bed with a loud sigh. For some reason, they’re here, instead of Jeralt’s own quarters, but Byleth doesn’t question it.

She is just happy to be finally given a chance to rest. She raises her head slightly to see Jeralt looking at her oddly. “What is it father?”

He scowls, seemingly searching for the right words. “Byleth, back there before I came into the room, what did you do?”

Byleth’s brow furrows slightly. “Nothing…” she replies, however despite her stoic tone, it comes out sounding like a question. “What do you mean, father?”

Sothis gasped, hurtling herself through the air to Byleth's side. “No, no way! Is your father aware of the divine pulse? How? Wha-” She spluttered in shock, bouncing up and down like an excited child. 

Byleth ignores Sothis in favor of just staring back at her father. Sothis slowly floats forward and reaches out, waving her hand in front of Jeralt’s face.

_Sothis, stop that. He can not see you._

“You say that, but he just glanced right at me!” Sothis exclaimed, jumping back. She floats over and hides on Byleth’s other side, cautiously peeking over at Jeralt.

Jeralt sighed and ran a hand down his face as he realized that Byleth wasn’t going to answer. “Okay, maybe you’ll open up a little more once we talk. I’m sure you have questions for me too.”

Byleth frowned, and for a moment, she was silent. ”I do have one question, ” she replied softly as she propped herself up.

”What was my mother like?” Byleth asked softly.

Byleth had always been curious, and while Jeralt did talk about her mother from time to time, he never delved too deeply into it. She always felt like it wasn’t right to push him to answer, so she never did.

Once he had passed, though, it was one of the few things Byleth really regretted never asking.

Jeralt chuckled as he approached the bed sitting on the edge of it beside Byleth. ”Starting off strong, I see.”

When Jeralt sat down Sothis moved a bit she seemed genuinely worried about him seeing her despite Byleth’s insistence that he couldn't.

For a moment or two there was a comfortable silence between Byleth and Jeralt. Then a small smile spread across his face, filled with a warmth that Byleth was all too familiar with.

”You’re a lot like her, Sitri. Although she wasn't as quiet as you, I suppose that's something you got from me.” Jeralt told her.

_Sitri_ …

For a moment, Byleth repeated the name to herself, a small amount of warmth washing over her.

”Do I really look like her?” Byleth asked. While she had a name, it was much harder to put that name to a face.

Jeralt nodded. ”Even more so with the way your hair is now. Sitri had a lot of bite to her but she wasn't a warrior, she was nun for the church of Seiros. Everytime I came back from a mission, she would rush over and check me for wounds before asking me to tell her what it was like out there.”

”On the battlefield?” Byleth frowned. She yawned but forced herself to keep her eyes open.

Jeralt shook his head. ”No, outside the monastery itself. She’d never been beyond the walls of Garreg Mach, not because she didn't want to but because she couldn't. She was sick.” 

”I wouldn't be surprised if Seiros had a hand in that, ” Sothis muttered, a scowl on her face.

”Even back then, Rhea didn't like me,” Jeralt chuckled. ”Seteth though he-”

As a soft snoring met his ears, Jeralt stopped speaking and looked down at Byleth who had fallen asleep.

Sothis, let out a soft huff. ”Wake up, Byleth, ” she hissed. ”We’re so close to getting some answers!” However, the woman did not stir, a testament to how truly exhausted she was.

Sothis frowned, only looking up when she saw Jeralt move. She watched as he carefully pulled the blankets over Byleth tucking her in, his movements well-practiced.

He smiled at Byleth brushing a strand of hair from her face, only to freeze for a moment when he saw her ears again.

Sothis narrowed her eyes, watching his face for any change, but both to her joy and frustration, there was none.

”Sleep well, Byleth. We’ll talk in the morning, ” Jeralt told her softly before leaving the room.


	4. W̴̬̼̩͚͈̙̣̿͌̽͐̑a̴̛̤̯̰̦ͅţ̸̧͉̫͉̦͖̺͂̌̇̓͌͆͜ͅc̵̢͍͍̪͚͔̙̠̥̱̋h̵̫̭͉̬̯͑͆͗f̵̡̢̱͖̯͓̠̗̪͒͆͗͂̇̔͝ͅu̸̢̟͕̖̥͘ļ̵̬͎̤͔̭̼͚̙̹̿̍̾̒͂ ̵͖̼̫̯̲̈́̈͝Ę̸̞̺̲͍͑͜͝y̶͔̱͈̲͇͌͊͐͗̎́͊̃͠ȩ̵̘̦͇̼̠͕̽͂͛͑̊̑̆̽͂̕ͅ

**-Sothis-**

“The nerve of you, ” Sothis muttered as she sat at Byleth’s bedside watching the girl.

She’d given up on trying to wake up Byleth once Jeralt had left. After all, the girl clearly needed her sleep.

“We can always talk later, I suppose,” she sighed softly. Sothis reached out, attempting to pat Byleth's head, but she stopped and glared down at her transparent form.

Scowling, she allowed her arm to return to her side, Byleth's word from earlier echoing in her thought. “Saying that your feelings and wants do not matter, you truly are foolish, aren’t you, ” Sothis huffed, shaking her head. 

The words had made Sothis angry earlier, and they still angered her now, that Byleth could value herself so little as to throw everything away if it allowed those she cared about to be happy. 

Leaning forward a bit, Sothis smiled slightly as she started at Byleth’s face; the near-permanent scowl was missing. The tension that normally lined her features seemingly disappeared. It was only at times like this that Sothis remembered that Byleth was no older than the students she taught.

“I remember the first time we met in your dreams; we were almost the same height back then. Compared to other humans, I’d met, you spoke like I was anyone else,” Sothis recounted softly, a small warmth flowing through her as she recalled the fond memory.

At the time Sothis had asked Byleth if she was afraid of her because Byleth had barely spoken, Sothis still remembered the way Byleth looked at and said that she was hungry.

  
  


“I can not think of a time where you were ever frightened of me, for me but never of me…” Sothis giggled.

Sothis jolted slightly as Byleth made a small noise, almost like a hum. However, she only shifted slightly, her curved ears twitching slightly as she snuggled further beneath the covers.

Sothis grinned as she watched the girl. Byleth had always reminded Sothis of the little fuzzy things that wandered the monastery. There had been quite a few of them in Zanado in the past both Seiros and Cichol had been fond of them.

And while Sothis hadn't admitted it at the time, she had adored the little creatures as well. 

Sothis reached out, placing her hand in Byleth’s open one, her hand just slightly hovering above Byleth’s palm. “Humans as amazing and yet foolish as yourself hardly exist anymore, so please allow me to stay with you just a little while longer.”

As if she’d heard her, Byleth’s fingers twitched, her hand curling slightly.

Sothis yawned, her thoughts drifting back to Jeralt. Thinking of it now, there had been a few other times in the past where he’d seemed aware of the divine pulse.

Had Seiros done something to him that both her and Byleth were unaware of? Sothis wasn't sure; to be honest, she could no longer recognize Seiros anymore. Gone was the sweet glutton of a girl that had practically followed her everywhere.

“Is this my fault?” Sothis wondered aloud, her eyes on Byleth’s face, not expecting an answer.

**~~~**

As is the norm, Sothis wakes up before Byleth, yawning loudly as she slowly climbs to her feet.

Letting out a soft huff, Sothis rubs at her eyes before attempting to wake Byleth up.

Sothis tried the usual diplomatic approach first, softly calling Byleth’s name in her ear. Surprisingly it seems to work, a smile forming on Sothis’s face as one of Byleth’s eyes opens halfway.

“It is time to get up, Byleth, ” She beckons.

The girl lets out a soft groan before rolling away from Sothis. “Soon...El,” Byleth muttered.

Sothis scowls and crosses her arms. “Of course it wouldn't be so simple,” She muttered, shaking her head.

In the past, Byleth had been more of a light sleeper, jolting awake at even the smallest rustle of tree branches. She still was, but since becoming more comfortable at the Monastery, it seemed harder for her to wake up in the mornings.

Any other time Sothis would’ve been relieved that the girl was finally getting the rest she needed but, right now, she wished she had a physical body to shake Byleth awake.

  
  


Making her way onto the bed, Sothis leaned over Byleth so that she could speak into her ear. And she gave her best scream.

In an instant, Byleth sprung up, one hand fumbling blindly for her sword as she frantically looked around with wide eyes.

“There we go, ” Sothis sighed, leaning back.

Panting, Byleth slowly looked at her. “Wha-what happened? What’s wrong?”

Crossing her arms, Sothis smiled. “Nothing, yet. But the sun has risen, and you should probably meet some of the other students. After all, it is only with their help that we will be able to accomplish our goal.”

Byleth scowled, her breathing returning to normal as she slowly blinked at Sothis. “You didn't have to scream like that. I thought something was actually wrong, ” Byleth sighed.

She yawned and stretched before running a hand over her face. Byleth climbed out of bed, letting her blanket fall to her floor as she approached the window.

The sun was starting to rise, painting the sky in vice orange and yellow hues.

“Sothis...I’m pretty sure even Seteth isn’t up this early, ” Byleth muttered as she sat back down on her bed. 

At her words, Sothis snorted. “Cichol hated waking up before noon. Seiros usually woke him up early, though; she never was one to miss breakfast.”

“I wish I could’ve met that Seteth, ” Byleth huffed, remembering how the man had reprimanded her for being five minutes late to a meeting.

“Speaking of breakfast, ” Sothis said, clapping her hands. “I want you to eat something today.”

Byleth paused in the middle of climbing back into bed, a frown on her face. “Did you want to see if anything else has changed like yesterday? I doubt Claude would invite me to breakfast; he’s usually in the library at this time of day. Hubert wouldn’t either, considering he does not trust me yet.”

_ Caspar, Dorothea, or Sylvain might… _

That was when an important fact dawned on Byleth. 

“I know you are excited, but we have more important things to worry about than whether or not Edelgard would like to have breakfast with you!” Sothis exclaimed, already knowing what Byleth was thinking.

Byleth looked over at her, blinking slowly. “This is very important, especially considering  _ you _ woke me up so early, ” Byleth pointed out. Her expression was completely serious.

During the war, Byleth and Edelgard frequently ate breakfast together when they could. While Byleth tried her best to keep her lunchtime open if one of her students wished to speak to her one on one. However, when they could, the Black Eagles would frequently share dinner together; just remembering it caused a flow of warmth to run through Byleth’s chest. She still remembers how flustered Edelgard had been when Byleth had heard her giggle.

  
  
  


”Listen to me, young lady,” Sothis huffed, drawing Byleth’s attention. She sounded like a parent trying to reign in an unruly child.

Once Sothis was sure that Byleth wouldn't interrupt, she continued speaking. ”I do not only wish for you to eat breakfast because I want to see what has changed. I am also concerned for you, ” she admitted, her tone serious.

Byleth frowned. She didn't think she’d done anything that made Sothis worry lately. Besides the time she’d misspoke when talking to Hannerman yesterday. 

”I’ll be more careful when trying to talk to everyone. I was tired yesterday and really didn't think I could take Hannerman’s lecture on Crests, ” Byleth tried to reassure her.

”He is the human equivalent of watching paint dry, but that is not the issue, ” Sothis muttered, shaking her head.

Byleth didn't bother to hide the slight smile at Sothis’s words but remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

”Do you remember what you said to me in Seiros’s chambers?” Sothis asked, a hand on her hip. 

Byleth yawns as she tries to use what little brain power she has available at the moment to figure out what Sothis meant. She’d only been in Rhea’s chambers twice after all. 

“That my feelings don’t matter?” Byleth says slowly, although it comes out sounding more like a question.

“Exactly,” Sothis grumbled, her face twisting into a grimace.

Byleth scowls, “But they-“

“That’s not true!” Sothis snapped loudly and suddenly, causing Byleth to flinch.

While Byleth is still staring at her in stunned silence, Sothis floats onto the bed, making sure that she is eye level with Byleth. “That has  _ never _ been and will  _ never  _ be true. If anything, your wants and needs matter the most, especially right now,” Sothis told her firmly.

_ So she was mad… _

Byleth sighed. “Is there any reason we’re doing this first thing in the morning?”

Sothis smiled. “I wanted to speak to you last night, but you fell asleep before I could get the chance,” she reminds Byleth.

Byleth nodded; she remembered practically having to pry her eyes open when speaking to Jeralt last night and then nothing. “The feelings and wants of my students matter more, at least to me. If I don’t put theirs first, then who will?” Byleth told her as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

“Another horrible suggestion of yours,” Sothis mumbled as she leaned back. “This is not your burden alone to bear. You are only one person.”

“This war happened because  _ I _ failed to stop Rhea. It happened because  _ I  _ didn’t care enough to notice what was going on around me!” The venom in Byleth’s voice is not directed at Sothis, but Sothis can’t help but flinch.

Byleth rarely ever yells. When she does, however, it is always jarring to see.

Taking a deep breath, Sothis closes her eyes for a moment, her lips pressed into a thin line. Then she looks up at Byleth and stands her ground. “You told me that  _ you _ wanted to stop the war. That  _ you  _ wanted to save your students, correct?”

“Of course I did,” Byleth answered immediately.

“Then why do you say that your feelings and wants do not matter when that is something you want and are putting yourself through this to achieve?” Sothis asked her softly. 

Sothis says it so simply, but the question itself is heavily loaded. And as Byleth’s eyes widen and she fumbles for a response, Sothis knows that she’s made her point.

Giving her a small smile, Sothis glances towards the window. “Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I do suppose you may rest a bit more. Today will be another long day.”

Byleth sighs loudly as she climbs into bed. “You don’t have to tell me twice, ” she mumbled a bit more subdued after their talk. Byleth picks up the blanket on the floor, and covers herself in it before settling in once more. 

It doesn’t take long for Byleth to go back to sleep. 

With the room quiet once more, Sothis allowed her thoughts to wander back to the events that would occur.

As she plotted out the events that both Byleth and her had experienced the first time around, Sothis desperately wished that she could hold a pen.

Giving a soft groan of frustration, she sat back before taking another peek at Byleth’s memories. As a rush of imagines flooded her thoughts, Sothis sighed.

”The mock battle is the first step, but we also have those bandits and Lonato to deal with, ” Sothis huffed as she muttered to herself.

It wasn't like Byleth could just talk Edelgard out of the war right now, either. And considering what Seiros had planned, the diplomatic option was out as well.

There were also the other two house leaders to consider. Claude hadn’t truly aligned himself with the church during the war because he had his own suspicions while Dimitri had unified with the Church. 

Chuckling softly, Sothis looked over at Byleth. ”It is a good thing these hooligans mean so much to you, ” she told her softly.

  
  


~~~

Byleth wakes up an hour later, which is a much more acceptable hour in her eyes. The first thing she saw was Sothis hovering above the floor, looking like she was trying to burn a hole into the ceiling with her glare.

Sothis says nothing until Byleth is about to leave the room at which she appears beside her. ”We should go speak to Jeralt, ” Sothis tells her.

”I will; first, I was planning on training. Considering I never had the option before, I do not know much in regards to magic, ” Byleth says as she looks down at her hand.

While the redness and burns had quickly faded, there was still a bit of tenderness there whenever she moved her fingers. 

”Maybe you shouldn't train using magic, at least not here, ” Sothis suggested after a moment. When Byleth blankly stares at her, Sothis continues. ”Seiros is already observing us closely. She knows my magic intimately as do Cichol and Cathleann.”

Byleth sighed, a scowl on her face. “Right. You don’t think the others told anyone, do you?”

Sothis shrugged. “Considering all the legends humans made for you, they may not even question it.”

The training hall is shockingly empty when Byleth arrives. She smiles softly as she grabs one of the training swords from the wall and approaches the dummy in the center of the floor.

“Even without the Sword of the Creator, your combat abilities are still quite amazing,” Sothis says as she watches Byleth from her spot across the room.

“I have to get used to fighting without it again,” Byleth replied, wiping some sweat from her face. There was a familiar hum of excitement running through her body.

“After the mock battle, we should make an effort to retrieve it; besides, I am curious about the tomb which it was in,” Sothis told her.

From what she saw in Byleth’s memories, Seiros had tried to make contact with Sothis using that throne.

_ It always comes back to that horrid thing _ . 

Not only that, but Seiros had attempted to do it only once she and Byleth had fused. Sothis closed her eyes and tried to focus, allowing the world to fade away.

_ She could’ve done it at any moment. Nothing was stopping her from luring Byleth down there, so why… _

As the realization slowly dawned on her, Sothis couldn’t help but feel slightly ill.

_ She believed I would consume Byleth’s mind when we fused… _

Sothis shuddered, and she glanced up at Byleth, who was still training, not even acknowledging her.

_ Did Cichol know? Cathleann wouldn’t; after all, Cichol shelters the girl quite a bit. _

Sothis scowled as she weighed her options.

Maybe, just maybe, it would be better if she attempted to kill Seiros as quickly as possible. But at the same time, she knew that she could not accomplish that without taking control from Byleth, and even then, just storming into Seiros’s chambers to stab her was not a good idea.

The main problem lay with the fact that Sothis would have to use Byleth to commit the act as she did not have a body of her own.

_ Even if it was possible, would I even be able to inhabit someone else as I have Byleth? _


End file.
